(You May be Surprised)
There'll be no preface to this article. There isn't any need to discuss the appeal of
the bicep muscle and its importance to one's overall appearance. Everyone
already knows that. Instead, let's get right to the point: Biceps training is probably
the most simple form of all bodybuilding exercise, yet thousands of bodybuilders
fail to stimulate bicep growth with ample success. There's a reason for that.
There's also a solution. If you're among those who never seem to get a good
bicep pump and would like to rectify the situation, read on.
You're Not Going To Believe This, But...
Although it's rarely addressed, the standard curl doesn't directly affect the bicep -
- at least that's the case with some people. It all comes down to your anatomical
make-up. For an unlucky bunch, the main contributor is the brachialis muscle,
which runs underneath the outer part of the bicep. That's the muscle most
responsible for drawing the hand toward the shoulder. Naturally, as the
resistance is increased, the muscle fibers of the bicep come into play, which is
why heavy curling will increase bicep size. Simple, right? Maybe not. Since
everyone's point of insertion is different, for some, the brachialis may absorb the
majority of stress, thus, the biceps function becomes limited. In other words, the
biceps will only receive as much stress as the brachialis will allow.
More Weight = More Growth. But Where?
The obvious solution of increasing the stress on the biceps would be to simply
increase the weight, but as many of you may have realized, that tactic doesn't
always work. Have you ever used an extremely heavy weight for curls only to
wind up with sore forearms the following day? That's because the additional
stress was, once again, handled by the brachialis. They're a very efficient
muscle. Unfortunately, by being so efficient, they rob the biceps of additional
growth stimulation. You may be able to lift more and more weight, but the biceps
remain the same size. Very frustrating.
A New Angle On Things:
If you're an advanced bodybuilder, you may have tried a series of angles in order
to better isolate the bi's. This is a necessary part of anyone's training. We all
need to discover how to hit a muscle with the optimum force and in the case of
the biceps that won't budge, the key is to try and eliminate the brachialis as much
as possible.
Whatever Works Best --Do The Opposite.
By examining which movements most directly work the brachialis, we can
comprehend what not to do. Hammer curls, for instance, will work the forearms
and brachi and, interestingly, are easier than standard biceps curls. There's no
wonder a cambered bar was once referred to as an "EZ" curl bar. Sure, you can
handle more weight -- because it takes the strain off of the bicep! It would then
stand to reason that positioning the wrist in as opposite a direction as possible
would take the stress off of the brachialis and place it more onto the bicep.
Therefore, keeping the wrist as straight up as possible will stress the bicep more
directly. In the case with dumbell curls, keeping the wrist a little outward with the
pinky higher than the other fingers is better yet. Of course, when doing barbell
curls, a wide grip with a straight bar will most directly work the fibers central to
the bicep.
Don't Preach.
The preacher curl is a favorite among many bodybuilders but it, too, is more of a
brachialis exercise. Think it builds the lower bicep? Can't happen. The entire
bicep is either activated or not. There is no "lower" bicep. What the preacher
bench does is alleviate stress at the top of the motion making it essentially a
"half" curl. So why is it that many champion bodybuilders exalt its effectiveness?
It comes down to anatomy. In a fortunate few, such as the phenomenal Larry
Scott, the brachi will develop under the bicep resulting in a higher "peak." We
should all be so lucky.
The Laid Back Approach:
Going with the "opposite" concept, the best way to circumvent any assistance
from the brachialis would be to not lean forward, as is the case with the preacher
bench, but to lie backward. Incline curls on an angle of 45 degrees or lower, will
place greater emphasis directly on the biceps. Eliminate preacher curls from your
routine and replace them with an equal amount of sets of incline curls and you'll
notice the difference immediately.
A Unique Cable Curl For Bigger Bi's:
If that deep down ache in the pit of your biceps has been eluding you, here's a
movement you're really going to like. Pay special attention to how it's performed,
for any deviation won't bring the desired result.
Set the cables on each end of the station at their lowest **********
Use a weight that will allow for good form. It's better to go for more reps than to
cheat with too heavy a weight.
Grab a handle with each hand using an underhand grip and step forward so that
your arms are drawn slightly back.
Keeping the elbows as close to your sides as possible, curl the weight up.
Do not allow the elbows to be drawn up during the curl! This is important!
Jutting the elbows up will only displace the stress onto the anterior deltoid and
the pectoral minor. Keep the arms down and your elbows back and let the biceps
take on the strain.
Don't let the fist "curl" toward you. Keep the wrists level throughout.
Come to a complete contraction. Squeeze hard at the top of the movement.
Do 10 reps and keep the rest between sets to under a minute.
Try and make this move the only exercise you use the next time you work biceps
and concentrate on making the biceps work throughout the concentric and
eccentric movement. Six to ten sets should get the job done if the intensity is
high.
If you've been getting better at curling but have no additional bicep size to show
for your efforts, the problem may be that you really haven't been working your
biceps at all! Start applying some of these bicep isolating techniques and you
soon may realize that there's a lode of untapped muscle on those upper arms.
Dig in and get it.

Last edited by StoneColdNTO; 06-21-2003 at 08:15 AM.

Stone Cold..............................Never Too Old

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I always do incline curls, they're awesome. What i found when i started doing them is how little weight that I had used and still got a great pump! They really force you to work just the biceps. I love them.

Originally posted by 70w30 Is it just me, or do straight bar curls put your wrists in an unatural postion.Straight bar curls cause me pain ,easybar curls are much more comfortable for me when going heavy

The straight bar used to be painful to me too until the tendonitis in my forearm got so bad that I had to go to therapy. The ROM exercises that the therapist gave me really helped.

Originally posted by 70w30 Is it just me, or do straight bar curls put your wrists in an unatural postion.Straight bar curls cause me pain ,easybar curls are much more comfortable for me when going heavy

uncomfortable exercises are usually the best for your muscles.....deads arent comfy, barbell rows arent comfy, last time i did squats it wasnt comfortable

Well.. asshole... I usually do hammers followed by curls..(dumbell) but I decided to try incline curls as I haven't done them for a few years...needless to say my biceps are as sore as Almighty's mouth right before he was given Modship here.......... wow...... talk about some good pain........